Free-range chickens unwittingly perform various tasks in a small-farm setting. They feed on pests, insects and food scraps; loosen up the soil and pull out weeds by scratching; making the soil fertile and of course laying eggs. Keeping chickens in the back garden however may pose some trouble than benefits. If you really want to keep backyard chickens for whatever reason, keep them in a confined space.

Here are the top reasons for keeping chickens in the back garden:

1) As pets
Chickens as pets is not as much a popular idea as chicken as food.

2) For meat
There are people who are fed up on buying those bland, cage-raised dressed chicken from the supermarkets so they go about doing the task of keeping chickens in the back garden for personal consumption themselves.

3) For eggs
Finally, eggs! This is the staple of the chicken business and you might as well cash in with this multi-million industry, although on a small-scale level – well, smaller than that.